
T 


O RAINE 


• C T MEADE 
GenColl 


AND THE 

OF SUMMER 


ELIZABETH GORDON 
































































THE ELIZABETH GORDON 
CHILDREN’S SERIES 

THE BUTTERFLY BABIES’ BOOK 
WATERMELON PETE AND OTHERS 
GRANDDAD COCO NUT’S PARTY 
DOLLY AND MOLLY AT THE SEASHORE 
DOLLY AND MOLLY AT THE CIRCUS 
DOLLY AND MOLLY AND THE FARMER MAN 
DOLLY AND MOLLY ON CHRISTMAS DAY 
I WONDER WHY? 

LORAINE AND THE LITTLE PEOPLE 
LORAINE AND THE LITTLE PEOPLE OF SPRING 



LORAINE 


AND THE LITTLE PEOPLE 
OF SUMMER 



55- mo*n 



We have been working hard on the summer apples said the 
Master Colorist 




MORAINE 

AND THE LITTLE PEOPLE 
OF SUMMER 


By 

ELIZABETH GORDON 

Author of “The Butterfly Babies' Book,” “The Dolly and 
Molly Series ,” “Loraine and the Little People,” 
and “Loraine and the Little People of Spring” 


Illustrated by 

JAMES McCRACKEN / 



RAND McNALLY & COMPANY 

CHICAGO NEW YORK 



Copyright, 1920, by 
Rand McNally & Company 



THE CONTENTS 


PAGE 

Queen o’ Weeds 9 

The Moss Carpet Weaver 18 

The Shaker of Seeds ........... 27 

Queen of Loving Thoughts .35 

The Flower Gown Maker 43 

The Commodore 52 

The Master Colorist 60 



7 


% 


* 


Queen o' 


Sleep flew softly by 



j 

/ 

/ 


mmm 







LORAINE 

AND 

THE LITTLE PEOPLE 
OF SUMMER 

QUEEN O’ WEEDS 

When Loraine had bidden the Little 
People of Spring good-by, she made up her 
mind that she would stay awake until twelve 
o’clock, the hour the Queen of Spring had 
said that the Summer People would come. 

But Queen o’ Sleep, who knows what is 
best for little folks in such matters, flew 
softly by and waved her wand, and the next 
thing Loraine knew, it was next morning and 
Sunbeam was dancing on the counterpane. 

“Lazy Loraine,” he called, “you’ve slept 
all the way from Spring into Summer! Get 
up now and let’s play out of doors.” 

So Loraine splashed into her bath and out 
of it, put on her new play apron suit and 
9 


10 


LORAINE 


her barefoot sandals, and raced Sunbeam 
downstairs to the breakfast room. 

Grandfather was there, reading the paper 
and chatting with Grandmother, and when 
Loraine had kissed them both, Grandmother 
said, “Here’s a little girl who needs her 
breakfast on this perfectly new Summertime 
day.” 

“That’s a fact,” said Grandfather. “It 
is Summer to-day. And when it is Summer 
in Maine / think that’s about all anyone 
could ask for. What do you say, Loraine?”. 

“If it’s any nicer than Spring,” said 
Loraine, “ I shall not know what to say. But 
what are we going to do to-day, Grand- 
father?” 

“I’ve got to go to town, dear,” said 
Grandfather. “Can you keep busy at home 
this morning?” 

“Why, Grandfather, of course I can,” 
said Loraine cheerily. “I’ll weed my garden 
‘this morning and give the weeds to Woofy the 


QUEEN O’ WEEDS 


11 


Mother Pig. What’s the name of those weeds 
that look like silver in the morning dew, 
Grandfather?” 

“Those are called pigweeds, and Woofy 
will be very grateful for them,” said Grand- 
father. 

Loraine waved good-by to Grandfather 
until he was out of sight, and then she got 
her garden gloves and basket and began 
work on the weeds. 

She had given Woofy the Pig one basket 
full and was at work on the next one, when 
she thought she would rest a bit. 

It was very still in the garden — just the 
sort of stillness that the Little People like, 
thought Loraine. And she had no sooner 
thought it than a laughing, chanting, teasing 
little voice said: 

Good morning, Loraine, 

It’s going to rain, 

And your work is in vain, 

For they’ll all grow again. 


12 


LORAINE 


“Now I wonder,’’ said Loraine, “just 
who that can be. I’ve never heard such a 
fascinating voice before.’’ 

“Here I am, Loraine — over here on 
the tallest weed that you’ve left standing, 
poor thing,” said the voice. 

And, sure enough, there she was, just 
the prettiest little person in all the world, 
dressed in a silvery gray-green dress all 
spangled in dew diamonds. 

“Why,” said Loraine, “who in the 
world are you? You are so dear! Why have 
you never come to see me before?” 

“Never needed to,” laughed the little 
person. “I’m Queen o’ the Weed People, 
and up till now you’ve let my weeds alone. 
But of course, when you pull them out, 
we’ve got to put them back, or it wouldn’t 
be long until I’d not have a weed in my 
queendom! ” 

“I don’t ’specially care just how many 
you have in your queendom,” said Loraine, 


H 



“/’m Queen o' the Weed People ” 



14 


LORAINE 


laughing, “but I wish you had not quite so 
many in my garden.” 

Queen o’ Weeds laughed and said, “Step 
lively there, Seed Sowers, and get those new 
seeds in.” 

And then a whole band of Little People 
began running up and down the rows of 
vegetables, sowing seeds, and singing: 

Scatter the seeds of the silvery weeds, 

Fill all the hours full of kindliest deeds, 

Scatter the seeds of the weeds that will be, 

For that ’s what 's expected of you and of me. 

“It’s funny to hear you talk about 
‘scattering seeds of silvery weeds,’ and call 
it ‘kindliest deeds,’” said Loraine. “Don’t 
you know what harm you are doing?” 

“Harm?” said Queen o’ Weeds. “Harm? 
Far from doing harm, Loraine, we are doing 
good.” 

“Well, I s’pose,” said Loraine, “that 
it is all in how you look at it, and I hope 
you think so, but / know that if I did not 


QUEEN O’ WEEDS 


15 



A whole band of Little People began running up and down the rows of 
vegetables, sewing seeds, and singing 

pull the weeds from my garden every day 
or so, it would soon be all weeds and I 
should have no garden at all.” 

“ Pre - cisely,” said Queen o’ Weeds. 
‘‘And, may I inquire, if you were not pull- 
ing weeds this morning, what would you be 
doing? ” 

‘‘Oh,” said Loraine, “I’d be in the 
hammock, I s’pose, reading or thinking.” 

“Idling,” said Queen o’ Weeds, reprov- 
ingly. “Idling, that’s what you’d be doing. 


16 


LORAINE 


So this par-tic-u-lar minute I’m saving you 
from one of the worst faults in the world.” 

“Perhaps you are,” said Loraine, “but 
I don’t seem to be very grateful to you 
for 'it.” 

“That’s your old-fashioned point of 
view,” said Queen o’ Weeds, “but you’ll 
outgrow that. Tell me, what did Woofy say 
when you gave her the basket of weeds?” 

“She ate them, every one, and asked 
for more,” said Loraine. 

“Well,”, said Queen o’ Weeds, “of 
course she would. That’s Woofy’s salad, 
and she needs it just as much as you need 
your nice tender vegetables. And how would 
she ever get any, pray tell, if it were not 
for me? You surely would not pull up 
your vegetables for her — now, would you?” 

“Indeed,” said Loraine, “I most cert’nly 
would not.” 

“Well, then,” said Queen o’ Weeds, “do 
you begin to see what I mean?” 


QUEEN 0’ WEEDS 


17 



And all the little Seed Sowers sang, “ Good-by , Loraine ” 


“I think I do,” said Loraine. ‘‘You 
mean that everything that grows is good 
for something, don’t you?” 

"Nice little child,” said the Queen, ‘‘that’s 
it. But we must go now. Good-by, Loraine.” 

And all the little Seed Sowers sang, 
“Good-by, Loraine.” 

“Shall I help you weed your garden?” 
asked John the Hired Man next day. 

“No, indeed, thank you,” said Loraine. 
“I must pull my own weeds or they won’t 
do me any good. ’Sides, it’s fun!” 


2 


THE MOSS CARPET WEAVER 


“O Loraine!” called Grandfather, one 
morning in early Summer. “Get your sweet- 
grass Indian basket and come along. John 
the Hired Man is going to help me fix the 
five-barred fence in the high pasture, and 
you can pick wintergreen berries while we 
work.” 

“Oh, that will be fun,” said Loraine. 
“I’ll be only a minute.” 

So she got her basket, and whistled for 
Brownie, who came trotting to her, glad to 
be allowed to go anywhere with his little 
mistress. 

It was so beautiful, away up there on 
the hill with the green of the wild meadows 
stretched out before them, that Loraine said 
she could just sit and look at it all the 
morning long, but Grandfather laughed and 
said that she would much better fill her 
18 


THE MOSS CARPET WEAVER 


19 


basket with berries and told John the Hired 
Man to show her how to find them. 

“What are wintergreen berries, John?” 
asked Loraine. 

“Why, wintergreen berries, that’s all I 
know,” said John the Hired Man. “We 
youngsters used to call them ‘Iv’ry plums’ 
— here’s a nice bed of them right here. 
Good ’s you’ll find, I guess.” 

Loraine thought to herself that she 
would look in the dictionary just the minute 
she got back to the house and find out all 
about wintergreen, but as soon as she had 
eaten some of the red berries she laughed 
and said, “Oh, now I know! Wintergreen 
is what they put in candies, and Nora the 
Cook has something in a bottle marked 
‘Wintergreen’ that she uses for flavoring.” 

“You’re a pretty smart little lady,” 
said John the Hired Man. “But I must go 
now, and I will call you when we are ready 
to go home.” 


20 


LORAINE 


The berries were so plentiful that 
Loraine filled her basket very quickly. 
But in reaching for one more nice bunch 
she put her hand in a ground sparrow’s 
nest, and the poor frightened little mother 
bird flew away with a “whirr” and sat on 
the top of the five-barred rail fence and 
chattered and chattered! 

“My, you poor little birdie!” said 
Loraine. “I would not have done that for 
anything.” 

“Of course you would not,” said a 
funny little man with a long gray beard 
who was sitting cross-legged on a big rock 
just above her. “And a ground sparrow 
with an ounce of sense would know that, 
just to look at you.” 

“Why, whose dear little grandfather are 
you?” asked Loraine. “I have never before 
seen any but quite young Little People.” 

“Oh, as to that,” said the gray-bearded 
one, “I can look young if I want to use 





22 


LORAINE 


my magic, but where’s the use in being as 
old as the world if one doesn’t look it?” 

“You look perfectly beautiful to me,” 
said Loraine. “I adore grandfathers, but 
I’m just full of cur’os’ty to know who you 
are and what you do. Please tell me.” 

“Why, I’m the Moss Carpet Weaver,” 
said the gray-bearded little person. “The 
fairies could never in the world use the 
cold, hard rocks to keep house on if they 
were not carpeted with something very soft 
and warm. I have many workers, most of 
them very lazy — like that bunch of idle 
young chaps over there on the fence, who 
are supposed to be planting and pruning 
lichens to make the wood beautiful. But, 
as you see, they’re just sunning themselves.” 

Loraine looked, and, sure enough, there 
were twelve little fellows, in gray suits and 
red caps, and beards nearly as long as the 
Moss Carpet Weaver’s very own, sitting 
cross-legged, and very truly idling. 


THE MOSS CARPET WEAVER 23 



As they saw Loraine, each one took off 
his red cap, made a bow, winked his left 
eye, crossed his left leg over his right leg, 
and began to sing: 

In the Summer time, in the Summer time, 

We work the long day through-oo-oo, 

To make the world, to make the world, 

More beautiful for you-oo-oo, 

For you, Loraine, for you-oo-oo! 

“Why don’t you do it then, and not 
sing about it?” asked the Moss Carpet 
Weaver. 


24 


LORAINE 


We’ve planted all the lichens, 

We’ve pruned the lichens too, 

sang all the little fellows, each winking his 
right eye, and crossing his right leg over his 
left leg — 

We’ve planted all the lichens, 

And now what shall we do? 

“Go and tell that foolish sparrow bird 
to stop her chattering and get back on her 
nest before her eggs are all cold,” said the 
Moss Carpet Weaver. 

The twelve jolly little chaps uncrossed 
their legs all at once and ran over to the 
little mother bird and whispered something 
to her, and, after awhile, the little bird 
hopped back on her nest and settled down 
as though nothing at all had happened. 

“Lo-raine!” called Grandfather just 
then. “We’re going ho-ome.” 

“That’s my grandfather calling me,” 
said Lorairie, “so I must go.” 


THE MOSS CARPET WEAVER 


25 


“Take a bit of moss to remember me 
by,” said the Weaver cordially. “It is 
magic moss, and if you will put it in a 
bowl with some water, it will keep flowers 
fresh for days, if you’ll stick their stems 
through it.” 

“That’s lovely to know,” said Loraine, 
“and I’ll try it as soon as I get home.” 

“Nora, please, will you lend me a bowl 
to keep my moss in?” asked Loraine when 
she had reached home with her treasures. 

“Why, bless the child!” said Nora the 
Cook. “And where did you get the fairy 
moss?” 

“Out in the high pasture,” said Loraine. 
“Did you ever see any before?” 

“Sure ’tis the same that grows on the 
big rock behind my father’s house in the 
County Clonmel,” said Nora the Cook, 
“and many’s the time on a moonlit evening 
the Little People — but I’m afraid my bread 
is burning!” 


26 


LORAINE 


“O Nora,” begged Loraine, “do you know 
any Little People?” 

But Nora said that if she ever had 
known any it was a long time past now, 
and not a word more would she speak. 

Loraine smiled as she stuck her bowl 
of moss full of pansies and sweet alyssum. 

“I’m sure Nora did know the Little 
People in Ireland,” she said, smiling to 
herself. 



THE SHAKER OF SEEDS 

“Hello, Sunbeam!’’ called Loraine cheer- 
ily, as she awoke on a bright morning late 
in June. 

“Oh, hello!” said Sunbeam. “Hurry 
and get dressed and come outside, because 
I have no time at all to waste this morning. 
I’ve got very important work to do, very 
important.” 

Loraine laughed. “O you funny little 
Sunbeam, always bobbing around making 
people happy, what is your ‘very important 
work’?” 

“I’m helping my brothers, the Sun Rays, 
to ripen the wild strawberries in the south 
field,” said Sunbeam. 

“You may run right along then,” said 
Loraine, “because if there is anything I 
like, it is strawberries. And wild ones 
must be per’fly afe-licious.” 

27 


28 


LORAINE 


As Loraine dashed out into the garden 
before breakfast to get an old-fashioned rose 
to put by Grandmother’s plate, John the 
Hired Man came by. “Good morning, 
Miss Loraine,” he called. “I noticed as I 
came by the south field yesterday that the 
wild strawberries are ripening.” 

“John the Hired man says that straw- 
berries are ripe over in the south field, 
Grandmother,” said Loraine at breakfast. 
“May I go and get some this morning?” 

Grandmother smiled and said, “Of 
course,” and Nora the Cook, who was 
coming in with breakfast just then, said, 
“Bless the child! I’ll make you a short- 
cake, with whipped cream on it, if you can 
find enough berries.” 

Loraine could hardly wait to finish her 
breakfast, and after that it did seem as 
though Sunbeam would never get the dew 
dry on the grass, though all the little 
Zephyrs helped fan it. 




All the little Zephyrs helped fan it 






30 


LORAINE 


But presently John the Hired man called 
from the yard where he was chopping wood, 
“Come out here, Miss Loraine, and I’ll show 
you how to make some birch bark baskets 
to put your strawberries in.’’ 

It was so much fun to make the baskets 
that the minutes flew, and by the time she 
could make one herself the dew was gone, 
and Loraine, looking very Scouty indeed in 
her new khaki suit, was on her way to the 
berry field. 

It was a lovely morning, sunny and 
bright, and there was a saucy old bluejay 
sitting on the tallest fence post whose beak 
was as red as could be from the berries he 
had been eating, who called out, “I know, 
I know, you’ve come for berries, you have, 
you have! Quit it, quit it, quit it!” 

Loraine laughed, “I’m sure there will 
be plenty of berries for us both, you fasc’nat- 
ing old bluejay, and I’m not going to ‘quit 
it,’ so fly away and and don’t be so greedy.” 


THE SHAKER OF SEEDS 


31 



There were more ripe berries than 
Loraine had expected, so she decided to get 
enough for everybody, and she stayed to 
fill both her baskets. 

But when they were filled, she sat 
down under the big maple tree to rest and 
listen to the chatter of the Rose-breasted 
Grosbeaks. 

The Grosbeaks are very sociable birds 
and love company. But presently she 
became aware of a tiny voice near her which 
sounded as though it’s owner was in very 
deep distress. \ 


32 


LORAINE 


“I’ve lost it, I’ve lost it! I don’t see 
how I could have, but I’ve lost it! I’ve 
lost the seed shaker!” 

“Oh, I don’t believe you have, dear,” 
answered a sweet, soothing voice. “Where 
did you last have it?” 

“Why,” sobbed the sobby one, “I had it 
a little while ago when I was following 
Loraine as she picked the ripe berries, and 
I was sprinkling the baby ones with the 
little green seeds. And I must have dropped 
it in the grass. I hope Loraine did not step 
on it. She’s very large!” 

“I wonder,” said Loraine, “if I picked 
it up. I’ll look and see.” 

So she did, and, sure enough, lying right 
in plain sight on the top of her last basket 
of berries was the dearest little salt-shaker 
looking thing. It was no bigger than a 
baby’s thimble. She was so excited that 
she could hardly speak, but at last she 
managed to call out, “0 Strawberry Lady 


THE SHAKER OF SEEDS 


33 


in the floppy hat, is this what your sobby 
little person has lost?” 

“My stars, Loraine!” said the Straw- 
berry Lady. “I thought you were asleep. 
Yes, indeed, that is the lost seed shaker 
of the Shaker of Seeds! Where did you 
find it?” 

“In my basket of berries,” said Loraine. 
“But why did your Shaker of Seeds feel 
so badly about it? You must have many 
others.” 

“Well, you see, Loraine dear,” said the 
Strawberry Lady, “she was feeling like that 
because she had been careless, and she was 
afraid that Mother Nature would not trust 
her with the work any more. And, besides, 
the Color Sprites would not have been 
willing to work on a berry without seeds, 
because it would look dreadfully unfinished 
— like a house without windows, you know. 
But, thanks to you, Loraine dear, it’s all 
right now.” 


3 


34 


LORAINE 



A whole flock of Little People flew over the field 


Then a whole flock of Little People 
flew over the field, singing as they worked: 

Strawberries ripe and strawberries red, 

For Loraine to eat with her milk and her bread. 
Strawberries crimson and spangled with dew, 

We’re glad as we can be to ripen for you. 

“What lovely berries,” said Grand- 
mother, when Loraine got back, “and how 
nicely you gathered them. There is not a 
green one among them, and no leaves.” 

“It would not be fair to pick the green 
berries,” said Loraine. 


QUEEN OF LOVING THOUGHTS 
Nora the Cook had been making rasp- 
berry jam, and Loraine had been helping 
her. It was so pretty when it was in the 
little glass jars, that Loraine asked Nora 
the Cook if she would please make some 
jelly just that color. 

But Nora the Cook said that raspberries 
alone would not make jelly, because the 
something that made fruit “jell” was not in 
raspberries; but that if Loraine would go out 
in the garden and gather some red currants 
to mix with them, she would be ever so glad 
to make the jelly for her. 

“Oh, goody !” said Loraine. “I’ll do that.” 
It was a hot day, late in July, and 
there were very few currants left, because 
the robins had been helping themselves, and 
so had the sparrows, but it was fun to 
hunt for them. 


35 


36 


LORAINE 


They looked like little strings of coral 
beads, and Loraine was thinking how lovely 
a necklace made of them would look on a 
pale green dress, and how pretty Big Sister 
would look in the dress. She had not 
known before how very much she missed 
Big Sister. She could just ’magine how she 
would look in the pale green gown with 
the crimson beads. 

“Something like this, Loraine?” called 
a merry little voice, and there was the 
dearest little person, perched on the tip top 
of the currant bush, wearing the very dress 
that Loraine had ‘ ’magined,’ with the very 
same string of coral beads. 

“Why, you dear, exquisite little person,” 
said Loraine. “You look just ’xactly like 
my own darling Big Sister. Please tell me 
who you are.” 

“I am the Queen of Loving Thoughts,” 
said the little person, “and because we know 
that you are the teenciest bit homesick, we 



There was the dearest little person 


\ 




38 


LORAINE 


thought that you would like to see what 
your loving thought of Big Sister looks like.” 

“I’m not ’zactly homesick, Queen,” said 
Loraine, “but it is a long time since I’ve 
seen my family. And I wish, I nearly 
wish, that I had been thinking of Mother 
dear when you came along.” 

“O Kindest Heart!” called the Queen of 
Loving Thoughts. “Come here and show 
Loraine how her mother looks this very 
minute.” 

Then Lorayie thought she must be really 
dreaming, because another dear little person 
came who was just the image of Mother dear, 
as she always was in Loraine’s thoughts, 
wearing a perfectly a-dorable little gray dress 
with rose-colored ribbons. And her eyes were 
just like Mother dear’s, and when she spoke 
it was with Mother dear’s voice. 

“Be good and be patient,” she said. 
“ It will be such a little while now until 
Mother comes.” 


QUEEN OF LOVING THOUGHTS 39 



Another dear little person came, just the image of Mother dear 


“I never can thank you enough/’ said 
Loraine. “You have made me very happy. 
And now I’ll finish getting the currants.” 

When the Little People had flitted 
away, Loraine was very light-hearted and 
happy, and as she worked she sang a little 
song which she made right there and then: 

In all the world, there is no other 

Who's half so sweet as one’s ovfn mother. 


40 


LORAINE 



“Well, what of it?” inquired the Robin Bird Baby 


“Well, what of it?” inquired the Robin 
Bird Baby, saucily. “All the world knows 
that.” 

Loraine laughed. “Do you happen to 
know what month this is, Robin Bird 
Baby?” she asked. 

“Yes, indeed I do,” said the Robin Bird 
Baby. “It’s the month of Caterpillars, big, 
fat fuzzy ones! I like this month, I do.” 

“O you funny, fat, speckly Robin Bird 
Baby!” laughed Loraine. “All you think 
about is something to eat. It’s the month 


QUEEN OF LOVING THOUGHTS 41 

of July, and I have not seen my mother 
since March.” 

“Cheer up, as my father is so fond of 
saying,” said the Robin Bird Baby. “Some- 
thing tells me that you will see her before 
very long.” 

It was a very happy and light-hearted 
little girl who ran home with the currants, 
and picked the strings all out and washed 
the berries clean, and then watched the 
jelly so that it would not boil over — you 
cannot always depend absolutely on the 
funny little Bubble Breakers, you know. 

But after the jelly was made and set 
away to cool, Loraine put on a cool white 
dress and ran out to the porch to sit with 
Grandmother. And just then the postman 
came, and there was a letter for Loraine 
from Mother dear, who said that in two 
weeks more they would be coming, and that 
after a visit at the farm they would all go 
to the seashore. 


42 


LORAINE 


“Oh, I’m so glad, aren’t you, Grand- 
mother dear?” asked Loraine. 

“Yes, dear,” said Grandmother. But 
her eyes were a bit misty, and her smile 
very tender, as she murmured to herself, 
“and a little bit sorry over the glad, too, 
little Loraine.” 



THE FLOWER GOWN MAKER 


“I believe I’ll make a dress for Tiny 
Doll this afternoon, Grandmother,” said 
Loraine, one pleasant day in Summer. 

“That will be splendid,” said Grand- 
mother. “You will find some nice materials 
in my piece basket.” 

“Oh, thank you, Grandmother,” said 
Loraine. “I will take this piece of primrose 
yellow silk if you are quite sure you do not 
need it. And I’ll take my sewing basket 
out to the sleepy seat in my garden, it’s so 
nice and cool out there.” 

“That is a good place to be,” said 
Grandmother. “I shall take a nap myself.” 

It proved to be cool and delightful on 
the sleepy seat. The Morning-Glories that 
Loraine had planted in the Springtime were in 
bloom now, and climbing all over the trellis, 
making a real arbor. The big bumble-bees 
43 


44 


LORAINE 


were booming in and out of the purple 
bells of the flowers, and the katydids were 
practicing on their violins. 

Loraine took great care to make the 
dress for Tiny Doll daintily, and when, at 
last, it was finished she was quite satisfied 
with it. So then she curled up on the sleepy 
seat to rest a bit. But she had scarcely 
settled herself when she heard a sharp cry of 
distress, and some one said, “Oh, you stuck 
me, Gown Maker!” 

“Well, then, don’t wiggle around so, 
Dotty Dandelion,” said a sharp little voice. 
“I can’t spend much time on you. You’re 
not supposed to be here, anyway. You don’t 
belong to the garden flowers, you know.” 

“I know it, Gown Maker,” said Dotty 
Dandelion, “but I’m here, and I’m going to 
the party, and that’s why I want this white 
dress made. I never could stay awake at 
night when I was young and wore simple 
little yellow slips, but now that I’m grown 



She heard a sharp cry of distress 






46 


LORAINE 


up, I’m going to wear fluffy dresses and stay 
up all night long if I want to.” 

‘‘Anyone is welcome to go to the party in 
my place,” murmured Four o’Clock sleepily. 

‘‘That’s the way I feel about it,” said 
California Poppy. ‘‘I like to go to bed early 
and get up early.” 

“O California,” said her cousin, Shirley 
Poppy, ‘‘you mean you’d rather go to bed 
early and not get up till noon ! Y ou are lazy.” 

“There you are, Shasta Daisy,” said the 
Flower Gown Maker. “And now do be care- 
ful and not get your white dress spoiled, and 
don’t get yourself all wilted.” 

“O Gown Maker,” said Shasta Daisy, 
“it’s no fun keeping still.” 

“You’re not supposed to have any fun,” 
said the Flower Gown Maker, “before a 
party. You’re next, Morning-Glory.” 

“Indeed, I’m not next, I’m sleepy,” said 
Morning-Glory, “and I’m going to sleep right 
now, so good night, everybody.” 


THE FLOWER GOWN MAKER 


47 



“There you are , Shasta Daisy” said the Flower Gown Maker 


“Well, dear me!” said the Flower Gown 
Maker. “If everyone in this garden is going 
to sleep, I may as well go home.” 

“Oh, please, dear Flower Gown Maker,” 
begged a little voice, “don’t go before you 
make me a new dress — a yellow one.” 

The Flower Gown Maker laughed and 
said, “You know quite well, Holly Hock, 
that I cannot possibly make you a yellow 
gown. I’ll make you a new pink one.” 


48 


LORAINE 


“Oh, I don’t want pink. I shall not 
enjoy myself one bit in pink,” said Holly 
Hock, pouting a bit. 

“You can’t help having fun, the lawn 
is so smooth and nice since John the Hired 
Man clipped it this afternoon. There now. 
Holly Hock, you are all ready. Who’s next?’ 

“We are,” said the Sweet Peas, “but 
there isn’t much to do for us, only just fluff 
our ruffles a bit, that’s all.” 

“Sweet Peas, easy to please,” said the 
Flower Gown Maker. “There you are, my 
dears, and now I’ll rest myself a bit.” And 
she flew up on the sleepy seat, almost in 
Loraine’s lap. “Why, Loraine,” she said, “I 
was so truly busy that I did not see you 
at all. What a darling little dress that is — 
just the color Holly Hock wanted.” 

“It’s for Tiny Doll,” said Loraine. 
“She’s the smallest one in my family.” 

“It is beautiful,” said the Flower Gown 
Maker. “Who taught you to sew so nicely?” 


THE FLOWER GOWN MAKER 


49 


“Oh, Grandmother taught me,” said 
Loraine. “But tell me, Flower Gown Maker, 
are the Flowers going to have a party?” 

“Oh, yes,” said the Flower Gown Maker. 
“It’s going to be a very, very grand affair to 
welcome the Asters and Golden Glow who 
are opening to-day.” 

“Oh,” said Loraine, “how I wish I could 
see it! What time will it be, please?” 

“It is ordered for Moonrise,” said the 
Gown Maker. “And now I must run and 
dress American Beauty Rose, and there’s not 
a moment to spare.” 

“Supper is ready,” called Nora the Cook, 
and Loraine gathered up her things and ran 
to the house. 

“Please, Grandmother,” said she at the 
supper table, “may I stay up until the 
moon rises to-night?” 

“I’m afraid my little girl would be very 
sleepy,” said Grandmother. “The moon does 
not rise until nearly twelve o’clock.” 


4 


50 


LORAINE 



“Well, I surely could never stay awake 
until then,” laughed Loraine as she kissed 
them all good night and ran off to bed. 

But, after all, she saw the party, for 
the Trumpet Flowers made so much noise 
announcing the arrival of the Asters and 
the Golden Glow that she awoke. Very 
softly she raised her curtain and looked out 
on the smooth lawn. It was a wonderful 
sight, for all the flowers were there and 
seemed to be having such fun! And could 
it be possible? She looked again to be quite 


THE FLOWER GOWN MAKER 


51 


sure, and it really was Holly Hock in the 
daintiest little yellow gown, dancing and 
having a lovely time. “Now I wonder,” 
said Loraine, as she crept back to bed, 
“wherever she got that yellow dress.” 

“Loraine,” said John the Hired Man 
the next morning, “I found this out by the 
sleepy seat this morning,” and he held up 
the little yellow silk dress that belonged to 
Tiny Doll. It was all crumpled. 

“Didn’t do it any good lying out in the 
dew all night, did it?” said Nora the Cook. 

Loraine smiled. “I’m glad I dropped 
it,” she said to herself. 



THE COMMODORE 


“I wonder,” said Nora the Cook, one 
morning in Summer, “if some one would 
kindly go and get me some green peas? I 
need two quarts more, and John the Hired 
Man says that he cannot spare time to get 
them for me.” 

“I’ll go,” said Loraine. “I love to 
pick green peas. Only you must promise 
me, Nora, that you will make some pea 
shell soup, ’cause I just adore it. It’s such 
a pretty color.” 

“Sure, I’ll make the green soup for you,” 
laughed Nora the Cook, “unless it’s ashamed 
of yourself you are to be robbing Woofy 
the Pig of the pea shells. But run along, 
Childie, and here’s your little sweet-grass 
Indian basket to put the peas in.” 

Swinging the sweet-smelling basket on 
her arm, Loraine ran across the fields, with 
52 



Loraine ran across the fields 


54 


LORAINE 


Sunbeam racing ahead and her shadow follow- 
ing along after her, until they came to the 
pea patch, which was just across from the 
potato field. 

The basket was soon filled with the 
plump, sweet peas, and, knowing that they 
were needed for dinner, Loraine had already 
started toward home when she heard voices 
— Little People’s voices. She had never 
heard those particular ones before, she was 
sure of that. They came from the direction 
of the potato field, and they were very much 
in earnest, to say the least. 

“I’ve never known Little People to be 
angry,” said Loraine to herself, “and those 
over there are almost. I wonder what has 
happened. I’ll just tippy-toe over there 
and find out.” 

Whatever it was that had happened, 
they were very much in earnest, because as 
Loraine drew nearer she heard a command- 
ing little voice saying, “You must not 


THE COMMODORE 


55 


come into this potato field, and if you try 
to, it will be far from pleasant for you.” 

“Pooh,” said another little person, 
swaggeringly, “who’s afraid of a lot of 
make-believe sailor people like you? We 
shall come in because it’s our field and our 
food, and I don’t see how you expect to 
stop us.” 

“Indeed it is not your field,” said the 
first speaker. “ Why, it belongs to Loraine’s 
people, and the potatoes are growing for 
her to eat. And how can they grow, pray 
tell, if robber bugs like you eat the tops 
off?” 

“Come on, fellows,” said the second 
voice. “Let’s show these imitation sailors 
what a band of desperate Potato Beetles 
can do.” 

Then they came out in the open, and 
Loraine saw that they were really and truly 
a desperate band of Potato Beetles, all 
dressed in yellow and black armor. 


56 


LORAINE 


They fairly threw themselves against 
the Commodore and his Marines, who were 
guarding the potatoes, but they were quite 
ready for them. Over the tops they went 
and attacked those Beetles so swiftly that 
in almost no time at all there was not a 
Beetle in sight. 

“Now,” said the Commodore, “we will 
camp here. So, my brave lads, you may 
choose yourselves each a hammock and get 
some rest.” 

“Aye, aye, Sir,” said each little Marine, 
and in a trice — -and a trice is a very short 
time, indeed — each little Marine was stowed 
away inside a potato blossom, and sound 
asleep. 

The Commodore sat down to think 
things over, and then he saw Loraine. He 
saluted, and said, “Good morning, Loraine. 
Did you happen to see the skirmish?” 

“ Indeed I did, Commodore,” said 
Loraine. “It looked like real war to me. 


THE COMMODORE 


57 



Over the tops they went and attacked those Beetles 


But what is the matter, and why are the 
Potato Beetles enemies of yours?” 

“Why, that’s the funny part of it,” 
said the Commodore. ‘‘They’re not my 
enemies — they’re yours.” 

“Mine?” said Loraine in great surprise. 
“I’ve never seen them before in my life! 
How can they be my enemies?” 

“Let me ask you, Loraine,” said the 
little Commodore. “ Isn’t anyone who 
would take your food away, leaving you to 
starve, your enemy?” 


58 


LORAINE 


“Why, surely,” answered Loraine. 

“Well,” said the Commodore, “that is 
exactly what these Beetles are doing. Left 
to themselves, they would eat every bit of 
green off the potato tops, and the potatoes 
would never grow any more. And you 
wouldn’t have any, that’s what!” 

“ It’s kind of you to take all this 
trouble for me, and I thank you very 
much,” said Loraine. “But how did you 
know that our field was in danger?” 

“Oh,” said the Commodore, “we’re the 
Irish Potato Marines, and we’re supposed 
to know where the enemy is at all times. 
But Fleecy Cloud met us the other day and 
told us your field was in particular danger. 
So, of course, we set sail for here at once.” 

“ I certainly ’predate what you have 
done,” said Loraine. “And now I must run 
home. Thank you again for coming.” 

“Pipe all hands,” said the Commodore, 
“and sing a song for Loraine.” And every 


THE COMMODORE 


59 


man Jack of them sat up in his potato 
blossom hammock and sang: 

We’ll come in our shallop, we’ll prance or we’ll 
» gallop, 

Or sail through the air in our new aeroplane, 
For we’re sure and we’re steady and all the time 
ready 

To come when we’re needed to little Loraine. 



“We’ll sail through the air in our new aeroplane” 


“ I guess I’ll spray the potato tops soon,” 
said John the Hired Man that evening. 

“Yes, better do that to-morrow, John,” 
said Grandfather. “ It’s a wonder the beetles 
have not eaten them all before now.” 

Loraine smiled a little to herself. 


THE MASTER COLORIST 


“Wake up, Loraine! Wake up, Loraine! 
I’m dancing on your counterpane,” sang 
Sunbeam, one bright Summer morning. 

Loraine opened her eyes with a chuckle, 
and said, “Thank you for calling me, Sun- 
beam. I wanted to get up early because I 
must get some Black-Eyed Susans for my 
vases this morning.” 

So after Loraine had fed the chickens, 
and had dusted her own room, she got her 
sweet-grass Indian basket and some scissors, 
and raced Sunbeam to the brookside. 

Loraine was ’specially happy that morn- 
ing because Daddy and Big Sister and 
Mother dear were coming very soon now. 
But she was a little bit sad, too, because 
she loved the farm and all the dear people 
on it. And then all at once, right on top 
of her thoughts, plump! came a hard green 
60 


THE MASTER COLORIST 


61 



apple, which had fallen from the tree under 
which she was sitting by the brook. 

“Now, careless,” said a tiny voice just 
above her, “see what you’ve done! You 
knocked that apple off the tree.” 

“I’m not careless,” said another voice, 
“and you have no right to say so.” 

“ What’s all this argument about? ” asked 
a very businesslike little voice. 

“But, Master Colorist,” said the first 


62 


LORAINE 


speaker, “Red Streak was careless. He 
knocked an apple off the bough, and I had 
just yesterday finished coloring it green. 
There’s a whole day’s work wasted, and 
besides, it hit Loraine on the head. He did 
it on purpose, I know he did!" 

“Certainly I did it on purpose,” said 
Red Streak. “Apple Worm lives in it, and 
he stuck his head out and laughed at me 
just as I was beginning to paint it. So, as 
it would never have ripened, I threw it 
down. But I did not dream that Loraine 
was sitting under the tree, and Greenie 
can’t say I’m careless.” 

“ I won’t say it any more,” said 
Greenie. “I beg your pardon, Red Streak.” 

“You’d better ask Loraine’s pardon,” 
said the Master Colorist. “ How are you, 
Loraine?” he called. “Have these unruly 
children of mine been disturbing you?” 

“’Deed they have not,” said Loraine, 
“but I was a bit surprised when the apple 


THE MASTER COLORIST 


63 



Apple Worm stuck his head out and laughed 


fell. I thought North Wind had knocked 
it down. Are the apple people very busy 
right now?” 

“Well, indeed we are,” said the Master 
Colorist. “We have been working hard on 
the Summer apples, because we want you 
to have some, and Sunbeam says that you 
are going away. 

“Oh, we’re a busy crew, 

There’s always work to do, 

But we thank our lucky star, 

We’re as busy as we are, 

For we love to work, Loraine, for you-oo-oo.” 


64 


LORAINE 


“That’s a pretty song,” said Loraine. 

“Well, we must all get to work now,” 
said the Master Colorist. “And you may 
tell Nora the Cook that any time after to- 
day there will be lots of new apples to bake 
for your breakfast.” 

“Thanks,” said Loraine. “I’ll tell her.” 

When her basket was filled, Loraine 
challenged Sunbeam to a race home, and 
she was so much in earnest about winning, 
that she did not look up when she got to 
the lawn, but ran plump into Mother dear’s 
arms, and was caught, Susans and all, right 
tight against Mother dear’s heart. 

Daddy got the next hug, and Big Sister 
had to come inside that one and share it 
with Daddy, because it seemed that he 
would never let her go. 

“Hold me tight, Daddy,” said Loraine, 
“for I’m so happy that I’m ’fraid I’ll pop 
open just like Snap Dragon does when I 
touch him with my littlest finger!” 




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